Automatically threading shuttle



June,l8, 1935. l, s Now 2,005,636

AUTOMATICALLY THREADING SHUTTLE Filed July so, 1954 /4// 71 586; INVENTOR. CU/Wv/v? CbBUE/V, /o/1,4c; J/vow.

ATTORNEY.

Patented June 18, 1935 lJNlTED stares PATENT OFFICE Isaac Snow, Lawrence, Mass, assignor to Draper Corporation, Hopedale, Mass., a corporation of Maine" Application July 30, 1934, Serial No. 737,553

4 Claims.

' The present invention pertains. to 100111 shuttles and has more particular reference to the threading feature of automatically threading shuttles such as are used with bobbinchanging looms.

Shuttles of the type mentioned are usually provided with a threading block, so-called, in which thefilling. partially threads during the first pick; of the shuttle after-the transfer thereto of anew fillingsupply; During the second pick after transfer the filling is intended to slide down an appropriate passage into the. side delivery' eye. Instead, it frequently becomes completelyunthreaded from. the eye, by reason of its passing rearwardly out of control of the horn which is provided for preventing. such unthreading.

Accordingly, it is the principal object of my invention to provide a novel and efficient. means for preventing the filling from escaping from the horn once the filling has assumed its partially thread position.

Qther objects will be hereinafter more specifically enumerated; or will become obvious as the description proceeds.

I have accomplished the aforementioned object of my invention by providing the rearward free end of the horn with a downwardly and forwardly extending thread guard, and by providing a supporting bridge just outwardly of the thread guard for supporting the partially threaded filling'above the bottom of the thread guard. The bridge may be in the form. of a forwardly extending finger which is spaced above the bottom of a groove, thereby providing two alternate paths for the partially threaded filling. Both of said paths are closed rearwardly, and accordingly prevent the filling from becoming unthreaded.

The preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated on the accompanying drawing, of which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the end of a shuttle containing a threading block of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the threading block detached from the shuttle; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken approximately on line 4-4 of Fig. l.

The shuttle illustrated on the drawing in- .cludes a shuttle body I, and suitable means (not shown) for releasably holding a bobbin 2 in a cavity 3 in the shuttle body. The shuttle body is recessed as at 4 to receive the threading block 5 of the present invention. The shuttle body may also be recessed to provide a groove 6 which extends outwardly from the threading block toward the tip of the shuttle for a purpose to be hereinafter described. A suitable passage '1 leads from the groove to the usual side-delivery eye 8'.

It is here noted that I employ such terms as forwardly, outwardly, and above as though the shuttle were positioned in a loom. Thus, the wall 9 of the shuttle body is the front wall, the top of the wall isindicated at ill, and the tip H points in a'd'irection outwardly of the shuttle.

The threading block includes front and rear walls l2 and t3, respectively, which define a thread passage l4; extending longitudinally of the shuttle- The thread passage is preferably open .atthe top for the free entrance of the filling thread. A horn [5. projects from the front wall l2: rearwardly over the thread passage, and the outer: and forward edge of the horn. con-- stitutes one side of the passage T.

When: a new bobbin is first transferred to the shuttle the filling end extends from the bobbin upwardly and outwardly to a thread-holder (not shown) on the loom. Then, when the shuttle is picked, the fillingv swirls or balloonsin unwinding from the bobbin and: becomes partially threaded into the threading block. I' usethe term partially threaded in its technical sense, tomean that the filling extends from the bobbin, through the thread passage. I l, beneath the horn l5, and on outwardly to a fixed holding means, as shown at on Fig. 1.

The partially threaded filling is supposed to slide down the passage 5 into the side delivery eye during the second pick after transfer. However, with prior shuttles difficulty has been experienced with the filling becoming unthreaded from its partially threaded position instead of entering the passage T as it should. The shuttle of the present invention provides means whereby the filling is positively prevented from unthreading from its partially threaded position.

A hook-like thread guard I6 projects from the rearward free end of the horn for preventing the partially threaded filling from moving rearwardly. This thread guard extends downwardly, or outwardly and downwardly, into the groove 6, and then forwardly, the groove providing a space about the horn and thread guard for the entrance of the filling. In order to support the filling and prevent its dropping or twisting out of control of the thread guard a bridge IT is provided, just outwardly of the thread guard.

The bridge I! extends forwardly from the rear wall of the threading block and below the under surface of the horn i 5, thus providing a path below the horn for the partially threaded filling f. The bridge is above the bottom of the thread guard I3, wherefore the latter closes the rearward side of the said filling path.

The embodiment illustrated actually provides two separate paths for the partially threaded filling. This is accomplished by forming the bridge as a finger which is spaced above the bottom of the groove 6. The finger extends forwardly to a point approximately in alignment with the front wall of the threading block, thereby providing alternate, vertically spaced paths for the partially threaded filling. It is desirable that the filling pass about the end of the finger into the lower path, but the construction is such that this is not imperative. It is noted particularly that the partially threaded filling may fail to enter the lower path if it is very light or does not balloon much.

It will be noted that both of the paths for the partially threaded filling are closed rearwardly and both are opened forwardly to communicate with the passage 1. I find that with the present construction it is not necessary that the longitudinal thread passage i l be provided with hooks, covers or guards, and this passage is accordingly shown as being open and unobstructed.

Having fully disclosed the preferred embodiment of my invention, I claim:

1. An automatically threading loom shuttle comprised of a shuttle body, a threading block in said shuttle body having a longitudinally extending thread passage, said threading block being provided with a horn which extends rearwardly over said thread passage, a thread guard comprised of a member curving downwardly, outwardly and forwardly from the rearward free end of said horn, said member extending into a groove provided therefor in said shuttle body, and a thread supporting bridge adjacent to but outwardly of said horn and member, said bridge extending transversely of said groove above the bottom thereof and lower than the under surface of said horn to provide a support for the partially threaded filling which prevents the latter from unthreading about said member.

2. An automatically threading loom shuttle comprised of a shuttle body, a threading block in said shuttle body having front and rear walls defining a thread passage, said threading block being provided with a horn which projects from said front wall rearwardly over said thread passage, a thread guard comprised of a member curving downwardly, outwardly and forwardly from the rearward free end of said horn, said member extending into a groove provided therefor in said shuttle body, and a thread supporting bridge adjacent to but outwardly of said horn and member, said bridge extending from said rear wall forwardly above the bottom of said groove to a point forwardly of said member, the top of said bridge being lower than the under surface of said horn to provide a path therebetween for the partially threaded filling.

3. An automatically threading loom shuttle comprised of a shuttle body, a threading block in said shuttle body having front and rear walls defining a longitudinally extending thread passage, said threading block being provided with a horn which extends rearwardly over said thread passage, a thread guard on the rearward free end of said horn projecting downwardly into a groove provided therefor in the shuttle body, and a finger adjacent to but outwardly of said horn and guard:

which finger projects forwardly from said rear wall to a point forwardly of said guard, the said finger being below the level of the under surface of said horn and above the bottom of said groove to thereby provide alternate paths through which the partially threaded filling may run during the first pick after the transfer.

4. An automatically threading loom shuttle:

comprised of a shuttle body, a threading block in said shuttle body having front and rear walls defining a thread passage, said threading block being provided with a horn which projects from said front wall rearwardly over said thread passage, there being a groove in said shuttle body extending outwardly from said thread passage and providing a space beneath said horn for the partially threaded filling, a finger projecting forwardly from said rear wall below the level of the under surface of said horn and above the bottom of said groove to thereby divide said space into two alternate paths for the partially threaded filling, and a thread guard member projecting from the rearward free end of said horn downwardly and forwardly to prevent the partially threaded filling from. unthreading from the upper of said paths.

ISAAC SNOW. 

